Susan Durant facts for kids

Susan Durant (born July 8, 1827 – died January 1, 1873) was a talented British artist. She was especially known for her sculptures. Susan was one of the first women sculptors in Victorian Britain to become very successful. She earned both praise from critics and good money for her art.

Durant made many sculptures, often using marble. Her artworks often showed characters from famous English books or stories from the Bible. Sadly, many of her beautiful creations have been lost over time.

About Susan Durant's Life

Susan Durant was born in Stamford Hill, which is now part of London. Her parents, George and Mary Durant, were from Devon. Her father, George, was a successful silk broker. Sometimes, the family would spend winters in Rome, Italy. These trips helped Susan become very interested in sculpture.

She later moved to Paris, France, to study art. She trained in the studio of a famous artist named Baron Henri de Triqueti. Even though she had her own art studio in London, Susan often went back to Paris. She worked with de Triqueti, sometimes helping him or working on projects together.

In 1847, Susan won a special award called the Isis silver medal from the Society of Arts. This was for a portrait bust she created. A portrait bust is a sculpture that shows only the head and shoulders of a person.

From 1847 until she passed away, Susan often showed her portrait busts at the Royal Academy in London. In 1853, she even showed a sculpture of herself! Overall, Susan Durant displayed about 38 of her works at the Royal Academy.

Famous Works and Exhibitions

Two of Susan Durant's sculptures, The Chief Mourner and Belisarius, were shown at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. This was a huge event that showed off amazing inventions and artworks from around the world.

Her small statue of Robin Hood was also displayed at the Art Treasures Exhibition in Manchester in 1857.

In 1857, she created a marble bust of the American writer Harriet Beecher Stowe. This sculpture is now kept at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Centre in Connecticut. There is also a plaster version of it at Castle Howard in Yorkshire. The bust showed Stowe wearing grape leaves and a shawl. This artwork really helped Susan Durant become more famous.

The Stowe portrait and a medallion from 1863 of George Grote are some of her earliest surviving works. The medallion is at University College, London.

In 1863, Susan Durant was the only woman among 14 artists chosen for a special project. The Corporation of London asked them to create sculptures of characters from literature. These sculptures were to decorate the Egyptian Hall of the Mansion House. Her sculpture, The Faithfull Shepherdess, earned her a large sum of £500.

Working for Royalty

Through her teacher, de Triqueti, Susan Durant met members of the British Royal Family. She received several requests for sculptures from Queen Victoria herself! For a while, Susan even taught Princess Louise how to make models.

Queen Victoria asked Durant to create special round sculptures for the Albert Chapel in Windsor Castle. These sculptures showed profiles (side views) of Victoria, Prince Albert, and their children. They were made from colorful marble. Smaller metal copies of these were also made as official gifts. Some of these copies are now in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

The Queen also asked Susan to create a memorial for her uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium. This monument was for Saint George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. It showed the king resting with his hand on a lion. Two angels were sculpted behind him, holding the flags of England and Belgium. This monument was shown at Windsor in 1867.

Over time, Susan Durant's art style changed. It became more realistic, and she used more colorful marble. This technique was encouraged by her teacher, de Triqueti. An example of this is her 1871 portrait of a child, called Nina Lehmann.

Later Life and Legacy

During her life, Susan Durant believed that women should have equal chances. She supported women getting good education, the right to vote, and having professional careers. One of her last known works was a bust of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, a famous female doctor. Sadly, this bust is now lost.

Susan Durant had a son named Paul Harvey in 1869. She never married. She passed away from a lung illness called pleurisy in Paris in 1873. She is buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

Selected Exhibitions

• 1847 Royal Academy, London (also 1848-1853, 1856-1860, 1863, 1864, 1866-1869, 1872, 1873)
• 1851 Great Exhibition, London
• 1857 Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester
• 1858 & 1863 Society of Female Artists
• 1860 British Institution
• 1862 International Exhibition, London